NEW DESCRIPTION ZOOS' PRINT JOURNAL 20(3): 1807-1808

A NEW SPECIES OF PRAYING FROM INDIA

M.C. Vyjayandi 1 and T.C. Narendran 2

1 Department of Zoology, Providence Women’s College, Calicut, Kerala 673009, India 2 (corresponding author) Department of Zoology, University of Calicut, Kerala 673635, India Email: 2 [email protected]

ABSTRACT antenna thick, with rosettes of sharp bristles at the junction of A new species of Amantis is described from Kozhikode, two segments. Kerala, India. Characteristic differences between the other species is provided. Pronotum: A little shorter than forecoxa, rhomboidal, supra coxal

KEYWORDS dialation pronounced; metazona constricted at middle, disc Amantis malabarensis sp. nov., Kerala, Mantodea, new smooth with insignificant carina; 1.4x longer than broad at supra species coxal dialation; metazona 1.2x longer than prozona, margin setaceous; forelegs simple, not foliaceous; coxa with mid dorsal ABBREVIATIONS carina; margin with hairs; femur 1.3x longer than coxa, 1.9x longer DZCU - Department of Zoology, Calicut University than tibia with four external, four discoidal and 12 internal (6 long and 6 short) spines; disc between rows of external and The Amantis was erected by Giglio-Tos in 1915 with internal spines denticulated; tibia 1.4x longer than metatarsus type species Amantis reticulata. Five species of Amantis are with 11 external and 11 internal spines; metatarsus slightly already known from India, viz., Amantis biroi Giglio-Tos, A. longer than all other tarsal segments together; middle and hind saussurei (Boliver), A.subirina Giglio-Tos, A. bolivarii Giglio- legs: middle leg shorter than the hind leg; femur as equal as Tos, A. indica Giglio-Tos. A new species, Amantis malabarensis tibia; tibia more setaceous than femur; hind metatarsus a little sp. nov., is described in this paper from Kozhikode, Kerala. longer than the other tarsal segments together; wings semihyaline, setaceous; fore wings costal area opaque, costal The specimens were collected by hand. The observations were vein setaceous, anterior and posterior radial veins not made using M Z Wild Stereozoom (Switzerland) microscope 3 bifurcating, discoidal vein bifurcate distally; hind wings anterior and the figures were drawn using the drawing tube of M Z 3 vein bifurcates and posterior radial vein trifurcates. Wild Stereozoom (Switzerland) microscope Metasoma: Shorter than wings, stout, fusiform; supra anal plate Amantis malabarensis sp. nov. short; posterior part subconical; cerci short, segmented, (Figs.1-7) posterior part with pubescence. Materials examined Holotype: Male, 21-v-2000, Kovoor (Kozhikode), Kerala, India, Discussion coll. Vyjayandi, DZCU. This species Amantis malabarensis sp. nov. is closely related Paratypes: 1 male, 18-ii-2000, Malaparamba (Kozhikode), Kerala, to Amantis biroi Giglio-Tos in the following characters: coll. Vyjayandi, DZCU; 1 male, 21-iii-99, Malaparamba pronotum, forewing and veins black. Amantis malabarensis (Kozhikode), Kerala, coll. Grace, DZCU; 1 male, 5-x-2001, Calicut sp. nov. differs from it in the following characters: (1) frontal University campus, Kerala, coll. Vyjayandi, DZCU. sclerite without black spot (frontal sclerite with black spot A. biroi); and (2) pronotum with continuous black stripe (pronotum Male: Body length 14mm. with discontinuous black stripe in A. biroi).

Colour: Black with orange tinge. Head central area of vertex The new species resembles A. bolivarii Giglio-Tos in the black, either side clay brown with fuscous tinge; eyes brown to following characters: (1) frontal sclerite without any black stripe; glossy fuscous; ocelli, frontal sclerite, forecoxa, forefemur and (2) pronotum with median black stripe; and (3) wings subhyaline. clypeus orange brown. Pronotum dorsally black. Forefemoral It differs from A. bolivarii Giglio-Tos in following features: (1) spines black at apex only; tibia, metatarsus black; other tarsal forecoxa internally without black spot (forecoxa internally with segments testaceous; middle and hind coxa black; femur, tibia, black spot in A. bolivarii ); and (2) forefemur without any black metatarsus and other tarsal segments testaceous. Wings dots internally (forefemur internally with 2-3 dots in A. bolivarii). testaceous to black, semi hyaline, with smokey stiff hairs. Metasoma black. Amantis malabarensis sp. nov. is similar to Amantis indica Giglio-Tos in the following characters: (1) frontal sclerite without Head: Broadly triangular, 1.6x wider than high; vertex with five any black patch; (2) pronotum with a black stripe; and (3) insignificant lobes; eyes globular; ocelli large, conspicuous; foremetatarsus black, other tarsal segments brown. This species frontal sclerite pentagonal, almost as wide as high, angular differs from A. indica in the following character: (1) forefemur superiorly, slightly arched inferiorly, disc flat; clypeus projecting; not black, without any indistinct black bands (forefemur black,

Manuscript 990; Received 27January 2003; Revised received 16 December 2004; Finally accepted 10 January 2005; © Zoo Outreach Organisation; www.zoosprint.org March 2005 1807 A new species of praying mantis from India M.C. Vyjayandi & T.C. Narendran

with 3 indistinct bands in A. indica). 1 mm Amantis malabarensis sp. nov. resembles Amantis saussurei Bolivar in the following characters: (1) vertex dorsally blackish; and (2) pronotum with a dark median line. Amantis 1 2 malabarensis sp. nov. differs from Amantis saussurei Bolivar in the following characters: (1) frontal sclerite without black dots (Frontal sclerite with two black spots on either side in A. saussurei Bolivar); and (2) first fore tarsal segment black (First 1 mm tarsal segment brown in A. saussurei).

1 mm Amantis malabarensis sp. nov. is similar to Amantis subirina Giglio-Tos in the following characters: (1) frontal sclerite without any black spot; (2) pronotum with median black stripe; and (3) 3 4 forecoxa brown. Amantis malabarensis sp. nov. differs from Amantis subirina in the following characters: (1) vertex with median black stripe (without any black stripe in A. subirina); (2) forelegs femur brown (forefemur black with three indistinct bands in A. subirina); and (3) second tarsal segment not black (second tarsal segment black in A. subirina).

REFERENCES 1 mm 1 mm Giglio-Tos, E. (1915). Mantidi Esotici genere e specie nuove. Bulletin 5 of Social Entomology Italiana 46: 151-154. Mukherjee, T.K., A.K. Hazra and A.K. Ghosh (1995). The Mantid 6 Fauna of India (Insecta: Mantodea). Oriental 29: 263-266.

Figures 1-6. Amantis malabarensis sp. nov. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 1 - Head (dorsal view); 2 - Head (ventral view); We thank the Calicut University authority for laboratory facilities 3 - Pronotum; 4 - Fore leg; 5 - Mid leg; 6 - Hind leg provided. The first author is thankful to the University Grants Commission for the teacher fellowship under Faculty Improvement Programme (2001-2002).

Proceedings of The National Symposium on

10 mm Bioresources, Biotechnology and Bioenterprise organised by the Department of Zoology, Osmania University, Hyderabad 19-21 November 2003

has been published!

Editor: Professor K. Shankaraiah

It includes 36 papers in Bioresource, 14 papers in Biotechnology and 26 papers in Bioenterprise. Published in March 2004, the xxiii+451-page A4 book costs Rs. 300.00.

Copies can be ordered from: Mr. T. Srikant, T-2 Sai Dwarkamai Apartments, Plot No. 8 & 9, Chitta Reddy Colony, New Bowenpally, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, 500011. Figure 7. Amantis malabarensis sp. nov. (entire) Payment can be made by DD payable at Secunderabad.

1808 March 2005 Zoos' Print Journal 20(3): 1807-1808